Alive (Ianthony)
by SmoshLuuh
Summary: A year after the dead conquered Earth, Ian and Anthony are living in an abandoned Hospital with their little group. They think it's a secure place, but they're proven wrong when it is suddenly evaded by a herd of walkers. Ian gets lost in the chaos. 4 days pass by and everyone thinks the blue eyed man is dead, even his long time best friend Anthony. But is Ian really dead?
1. Chapter 1

** This is an Ianthony AU story, based on AMC's hit show "The Walking Dead". **

**A year after the dead conquered Earth, Ian and Anthony are living in an abandoned Hospital with their little group. They think it's a secure place, but they're proven wrong when it is suddenly evaded by a herd of walkers. Ian gets lost in the chaos and some other members of the group aren't able to escape the fierce bites of the dead. **

**4 days pass by and everyone thinks the blue eyed man is dead, even his long time best friend Anthony, though he's been having a hard time coping with that fact. But is Ian really dead?**

* * *

"That's Ian's inhaler."

It was as if all the air had left Anthony's lungs and those were going to be his last words before he suffocated. The past few days he'd been holding in so much. He had held in the pain of assuming Ian was dead. He hadn't let anyone see the overwhelming feelings of loss and hatred towards himself for not protecting _him_. In that second after picking up the dusty inhaler from the floor, the brown eyed suddenly hated himself even more for not trying harder to find _him_. Sure, he'd gone through the hospital once or twice while everyone else was asleep, but he obviously hadn't searched enough.

Anthony clenched his jaw and slowly cleaned the inhaler as best as he could with his own shirt, kneeling only long enough to catch his breath. He heard someone say something to him, but he was already halfway down the corridor. He needed space. Needed to be alone. Needed time to think. He knew that if anyone tried to bother him, he would probably snap, and the group didn't need any non-walker casualty. The rage he felt kept the tears from falling down his face, but his brown eyes still stung and his nose started to run. He walked another few yards before falling to the ground, the weight of it all finally coming down on him.

He paid no attention to the dead zombie that was only a foot from him, just folded his legs and propped himself against a wall. Anthony clutched Ian's inhaler, his knuckles going white. He covered his face with his hand, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind. Ian might have not been dead, had he just looked for _him_ a little longer. He carefully wrapped the inhaler in a red scarf and put it in his jeans' pocket. He just wanted to throw it against the wall in anger, but knew that that was probably the last thing he'd ever see that belonged to Ian. The horrendous pain of knowing _he_ probably died scared and alone made Anthony nearly gasp. He grabbed his knife and stabbed it into the ground, with all his strength. The sound of the light blurred words coming from the door across the hall didn't even break his thoughts.

Anthony remembered Ian's laugh, Ian's smile, Ian's eyes. Another stab to the ground. All of his best friend's stupid innuendoes. He leaned back against the wall and sighed. With his hand no longer on his face, he looked around but he didn't really pay attention. The blurred words behind the door continued echoing in the nearly lit corridor, and Anthony assumed that it was probably just a walker moaning behind it. The door was being blocked by another dead walker, so he didn't really think it was necessary to kill the one that was trapped.

Instead, he found himself thinking of Ian's gentle touches. Stab. His ability to make him feel happy and alive, no matter how shitty the world was to them. Another stab. The door moved slightly, and the moans got worse. But Anthony didn't care. He was too focused to care. Another stab, followed by another of the walker's failed attempts to open the door.

He sighed in irritation at the door, but again, he paid it no mind when Ian's bright blue eyes swam in front of his face. He adjusted his grip on the knife and stabbed the floor once again. He bowed his head, regret at not telling _him_ how special _he_ truly was filling him to the brink. Anthony's anger bubbled over and he swung his arm backwards, the knife violently connecting with the wall. The door made another weak sound and he made a last stab at the wall before hauling himself to his feet. He didn't exactly know what he was going to do until he heard another moan, this time softer, coming from behind the door.

Anthony clenched the knife in his hand and kicked the door as hard as he could, pain radiating up his leg, but he didn't give a damn. He went to walk away, too frustrated to care about killing whatever was behind the door.

That's when he heard it.

"A-Ant…"

That voice. He definitely recognized that voice.

He felt himself go stiff as the soft whisper echoed through the hospital's walls. He suddenly turned back, and paced for a moment, trying to collect himself. Then, he put the knife between his teeth and bent down to grab the dead walker. He all but threw the body out of the way. He swung the door open with force, giving him barely enough time to put the knife in his hand and swing his arm back as if to attack. Nothing was there.

He looked down and his heart stopped. There was Ian, sitting on the floor, covered in blood. His mind raced and he stood looking at _him_ for a moment, so terrified that _he_ might have been turned into a walker. His heart began beating again at a heavy pace as Ian turned his face towards him, looking utterly exhausted but otherwise still himself. His electric blue eyes were drooping when they met Anthony's and the taller of the two leaned down, unsure what to do next. He knew he'd need to carry the blue eyed, but he was so damn stunned that he needed to know if this was really happening or not. He reached out and touched Ian's face, his fingers gently stroking below his chin and jaw, feeling _his_ beard on the tip of his fingers.

Within the length of a breath, he went to one knee and gingerly moved Ian's hand away from the wall. He slouched against Anthony as he slid one arm beneath _his_ knees, the other going behind _his_ shoulders. He took a deep breath and stood, waiting for his best friend to nod slightly and slink _his_ tired arm around his neck before he started to walk back towards the space their group was occupying at the moment. Anthony couldn't stop looking at _his_ face, though. He couldn't bring himself to fully accept the fact that Ian was still **alive** after all the emotions he'd gone through while thinking _he_ was dead.

* * *

**A/N: **

**I hope you guys like this as much as I do, cause I'm really excited to add more to it. If you have any doubts, contact me and I'll answer them the best way I can. **

**See you soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

As always, Ian was the first to break the silence. "My hero," he whispered, a light chuckle following.

Anthony shook his head. "I'm the reason that you are the way you are right now."

The shorter of the two couldn't find the energy to lift his head from his best friend's shoulder to look him in the eyes. "No you're not. I was the one who hid in that room."

"I should've looked for you harder," the brown eyed explained with a heavy regret lacing his tone.

"Oh, Anthony," Ian sighed. "Don't be stupid."

Anthony instantly stopped walking. "I'm not stupid. I just didn't do a good enough job trying to find you." he muttered before beginning to walk again.

Ian chose to keep his mouth shut, the look on Anthony's face telling him that he didn't want to talk anymore. His eyes started getting heavier and heavier until he finally couldn't keep them open any longer. He nuzzled his cheek against Anthony's shoulder, barely registering the slight acceleration of his best friend's heart beat before he himself slipped into complete darkness.

He woke up some time later, his companion's voice rousing him.

"Ian! Dammit, Ian! Open your eyes!"

Ian tried to open his eyes, but they felt glued shut. He assumed he and Anthony were still walking, mainly because Anthony had him pulled tight against his chest. But then something felt off. As Ian finally forced his eyes to open, he realized he was in one of the hospital rooms, most specifically the one taken by him once they found the dust filled abandoned place.

Anthony was sitting on the bed with his back against the wall, one arm still firmly behind Ian's shoulders in order to keep him upright and against his chest. The other arm was draped across the blue eyed's legs, a water bottle dangling from his fingers.

"There you go," he said with relief. "I was starting to get worried."

"You?" Ian chuckled. "Worried?"

"Hey," the emo haired chided, "don't be rude. I'm allowed to care, aren't I?"

Ian took a deep breath but then coughed, his throat feeling drier than he could ever remember it being. Anthony instantly brought the bottle of water to his companion's chapped lips.

"Drink," he demanded.

Had Ian not been so thirsty, he probably would have rolled his eyes. He didn't have the energy to lift his arm to grab the bottle herself, so he just opened his mouth and allowed Anthony to pour in some water. They sat in silence as Ian was slowly assisted in emptying the entire thing. He closed his eyes for another few seconds and when he was finished, exhaustion washed over again.

"Are you hurt?" Anthony asked, trying to keep him awake.

He mustered enough energy to shake his head. "Nope. I'm really tired, though."

Anthony thought about that for a minute. "Are you sure? Nothing hurts at all?" he asked again, wanting to be completely sure.

"My stomach," the blue eyed admitted. "I'm probably just hungry, that's all."

"Let me get you some food," the slightly older of the duo said, not waiting for the other to reply before he started to move off the bed. Without letting go of Ian, he reached down and grabbed a granola bar, unwrapped the package, and broke off a piece before putting it to his lips. "Eat."

Ian ate two granola bars before refusing to let Anthony feed him something else. "Ant, please, just let me sleep for a little while."

Anthony didn't say anything, just looked away from him. A light bulb went off in Ian's head.

"Are you afraid that if I go to sleep, I won't wake up?" he asked quietly.

Anthony finally nodded his head, feeling a bit childish.

* * *

**A/N:**

**And that's it, chapter 2! I don't know when I'm gonna be able to publish the next one, but it'll be up soon (:**

**This fanfic won't be really long, though. I'm only planning on writing 2 more chapters!**

**Anyways, see you soon! :3**


	3. Chapter 3

Ian sighed and gently smoothed down the back of his best friend's hair. "Thank you for caring. But I promise I'll wake up. And not as one of them."

Anthony nodded again but didn't look convinced. As Ian's eyes were about to close again, he noticed that he was wearing one of Anthony's shirts and some clean plants. His shoes had been removed, as well as his own shirt that was currently lying near the door. His skin was free, clean and clear of any blood. Anthony seemed to notice his look of surprise.

"I didn't think you'd want to stay like that, all bloody and stuff." The brown eyed muttered. "Cleaned off what I could, but didn't want to move you around too much."

"Thank you," Ian whispered, as he looked up to meet Anthony's brown orbs. "For everything."

Anthony smiled slightly. "I'm just happy you're alive. That's all."

Ian smiled as well, but then winced as he tried to adjust his shoulders to a more comfortable position. His companion noticed instantly.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine, just a little sore I guess." Ian assured him. Being trapped in that little room for 3 days wasn't of any good for his back. The fact that it was so tight only left him with the option of leaning into the wall for support. It was most likely a closet used to keep cleaning products and some other stuff by former employees of the hospital, but Ian was never really sure. It was too dark to see anything.

Anthony sighed as if Ian being in pain was an inconvenience, causing the blue eyed to chuckle. His drooping ocean eyes shot back open when Anthony's warmth at his side disappeared, as the older of the two got up from the hospital bed. He was going to protest, but Anthony shushed him and fluffed up the dirty-looking pillow. He guided Ian to lie fully across the bed before putting a few tattered blankets on him.

"Ant, wait!" the blue eyed said when he saw Anthony walking towards the door. "Please don't leave."

Anthony gave Ian a questioning look. "You need sleep," he reminded him.

"And I want you to stay. Please." Ian knew begging wasn't very becoming, but he didn't want Anthony to leave him again. Not after spending that much time alone. Unsure if he'd live, unsure if anyone else in the group had survived. Unsure if Anthony was okay. God knows how he hoped his best friend was okay. And when he heard his voice pronouncing "That's Ian's inhaler." in the nearly lit corridor, he remembered forcing his dry lips to smile. As the memories flashed by his eyes, Ian felt himself shiver slightly. He looked up into Anthony's eyes, nearly losing himself in his companion's gaze.

And then, he said three words that made Anthony's heartbeat race almost instantly.

"I need you."

Anthony chewed on the inside of his bottom lip, unsure of what to do. His heart was pounding in his chest, his brain scrambled, too overwhelmed to think. After a few seconds of battling with himself, he decided to go for it, sighing in defeat. He kicked off his shoes and raked his hands into his hair, unsure how to proceed.

Ian pulled back the covers and moved over, clearly showing Anthony that he wanted him to lie down next to him. He shot Ian a worried look in response, but his companion's warm smile wiped away the concerns he had.

He lay down on the bed, making sure to stay as close to the edge as possible. He tensed when Ian pulled the blanket up and around him, his hand staying against his chest.

Ian realized he was probably pushing it, but he didn't really care at that point. Feeling even braver in his exhausted state, he reached across Anthony, grasped his arm that was furthest from him, and pulled on it until he turned his chocolate brown eyes to face him. Confusion was swimming through Anthony's features.

His eyebrows furrowed when Ian buried his face in the crook of his neck, but shock replaced his confusion when the blue eyed guided his arm to go around him. His entire body went rigid when Ian scooted even closer, so close he could feel his breath tickling his neck, turning his whole body in a confusing mess of goose bumps.

"Hold me."

Those two words broke down every wall Anthony had left up. 

* * *

**A/N:**

And chapter 3 has arrived!

To those wondering (I got some private messages asking me this) yes, this little fanfic is based on 'Season 3 - Episode 6' of "The Walking Dead", the one where Daryl finds Carol after she's been lost. I ship Caryl way too much, and re-watching that episode recently made me wanna write this story (:

Just one more thing, the next chapter will be the last one. So, be prepared (I told you this'd be short)!

See you soon :3


	4. Chapter 4

Anthony snapped, finally allowing the reality of Ian being alive to wash over him. Without second-guessing himself, he slid one arm beneath the pillow and pulled the other man tighter against him.

His knees bent slightly so he could intertwine his legs against Ian's. His arm that Ian had a hold of went completely across his back, effectively pinning him against his body. His nose brushed against the top of Ian's head, as he tried to finish getting comfortable, causing a slightly shiver to race down his companion's spine.

"Okay?" Anthony asked timidly.

"Perfect," Ian breathed out. "Thank you."

"Don't… Just don't ever leave my sight again."

The emotion behind Anthony's voice kept Ian from saying anything playful in return. Instead, he nodded his head and patted his arm as if agree to what he had just said. The atmosphere inside the cold hospital room suddenly changed.

Ian had no idea what was going on between them or how it was all going to play out, but when Anthony hesitantly kissed his hair, he knew exactly what he wanted to happen eventually. If he was honest with himself, he'd known for a long time, but he never really had time to think about it. Especially since the dead were roaming endlessly through every corner and the main thing they should be worrying about was surviving.

"I can't lose you again," Anthony said in a barely audible whisper, his lips moving against Ian's hair slowly, softly, as if he hadn't actually meant to say it aloud.

"You won't," Ian assured him. His hand found his way to Anthony's face and his eyes widened when he felt moisture in the tip of his fingers. "Oh, Anthony… Don't cry."

"I'm not crying." he muttered in response. His sniffling and the wetness in Ian's hand gave him away, though. "I just care a lot about you, that's all. I'm happy you're alive."

"Me too," Ian said with a yawn.

"Sleep." Anthony commanded. "We can talk more later if you want to."

And Ian did want to talk. He wanted to get deeper inside Anthony's mind, wanted to know how he felt about this, about them. But for the moment he'd settle for cuddling and some much needed rest.

The last thing he felt before falling asleep was Anthony's steady breathing against his hair and his arm tightening around his back. Ian knew that no matter what happened in the future, Anthony wasn't going to let him go back on his unspoken agreement to never be out of his sight again.

He was okay with that,though.

* * *

**A/N:**

**And this is it! "Alive" has come to an end.**

**I'm really thankful for all the reads/comments/votes I got in this little fanfic. Every single one meant so much to me and I'm hoping to bring you a new story as soon as possible, since I still have another month of vacations.**

**See you soon :3 **


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